The San Diego Hiking Club™ was founded in 1980 by the late Skip Ruland for the purpose of acquainting people with the wilderness areas of San Diego County. When The Wilderness Association of San Diego, Inc. was established in 1986, it began sponsorship of the Club. The Association was created by a group of people whose common bond was a strong interest in the preservation of San Diego County’s wilderness and the desire to experience the beauty of our mountains, deserts, and beaches. The founders felt it was important to foster a sense of wonder and respect for our natural surroundings through personal experience.
The Club maintains a membership of over 100 persons and supports two chapters in San Diego County. Both chapters meet once a month to sign-up for upcoming hikes and to discuss past and future outings along with a slide show presentation of the various places we visited recently. Sign-ups for hikes are only possible in person at the meetings. All hikes are led by volunteer Club members and the hiking schedule is established at quarterly Outings meetings. All Club members are encouraged to participate in the Outings meetings and new leaders are always welcome! The quarterly hiking schedule is then posted to this website. A Club application and waiver form is required for new members.
The Club conducts day hikes, car camps, backpacking trips and “adventure” trips. Come hike with us to such places as: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, Cleveland National Forest, Mt. Laguna Recreation Area, Palomar Mountain, wilderness areas of San Diego County, San Jacinto, San Gorgornio, Grand Canyon, Catalina Island, and the High Sierras. Day hikes average 4-12 miles and range from easy to strenuous. Backpacking treks are typically 2-7 miles to trail-camp, which serves as a base for day hikes in the area. Boots are required. Each person furnishes their own food and equipment. Carpooling is encouraged with passengers helping out with gas expenses.
If you would like to find out more, please peruse the information available on this website, use our Contact Form, or better yet, come to one of our meetings! Again, please remember that sign-ups for hikes are only possible in person at one of our meetings. We want to get to know you! Our Links Page provides easy access to information on parks, trails, the desert, other organizations, and more!